1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an oil pipe connector structure, and more particularly to an improved leak-proof structure of an oil pipe connector connected to an oil pipe of a gas station for providing a better leak-proof effect and improving the life and safety of using the oil pipe connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
With reference to FIG. 1, present existing gas stations generally have a fuel oil storage tank for storing fuel oil (such as petroleum) and supplying the fuel oil to users who need the fuel oil anytime, and thus it is necessary to refill the fuel oil when the level of fuel oil in the fuel oil storage tank is low. In general, a tanker truck is driven to a location of a gas filling equipment of the fuel oil storage tank for the refill, and the tanker truck 100 has an oil pipe connector 80. During a refill operation, the oil pipe connector 80 is connected to an incoming oil pipe 104 of the fuel oil storage tank 103, and a switch handle 86 of the oil pipe connector 80 is operated to allow the fuel oil in the tanker truck 100 to pass from the fuel oil storage tank 103 through the oil pipe connector 80
With reference to FIG. 2 for a conventional oil pipe connector, the oil pipe connector 80 comprises a hollow connector cylinder 81, having a switch base 82 interconnected with a shaft hole 83 inside the connector cylinder 81, a bearing slot 831, a leak-proof slot 832 and a circular latch slot 833 with increasingly larger diameter installed from top to bottom and disposed inside the shaft hole 83, and the shaft hole 83 having a transmission shaft 84 corresponding to the bearing slot 831, and both leak-proof slot 832 and circular latch slot 833 having a bearing 841, an O-ring 842A, a spacer ring 842B and a latch ring 843, and the top of the transmission shaft 84 being coupled to a switch handle 86 having a connected torque spring 85, and the switch handle 86 being normally pressed and positioned by a positioning pillar 87. In an operation of filling fuel oil, the switch handle 86 is pressed downward, such that the switch handle 86 is released from the positioning pillar 87, and the switch handle 86 is pushed to the rear end to rotate the transmission shaft 84, and link related components (not shown in the figure) in the connector cylinder 81, and open an oil outlet in the connector cylinder 81 for filling and storing fuel oil. Since the shaft hole 83 is interconnected with the interior of the connector cylinder 81, a leak-proof design at the shaft hole 83 becomes extremely important. Although this prior art has an O-ring 842A and a spacer ring 842B installed at the leak-proof slot 832 to seal any possible leaking gap, the rotation of the transmission shaft 84 wears out the O-ring 842A and the spacer ring 842B after a short period of time, and the O-ring 842A and the spacer ring 842B gradually lose their leak-proof function and thus oil leaks may occur. If the oil pipe connector 80 leaks, the gas station will be contaminated and there is also a potential high risk. Furthermore, the oil pipe connector 80 requires maintenance and replacement frequently, and thus a higher maintenance cost is incurred. Therefore, it is an important subject for the related industry to overcome the shortcomings of the conventional oil pipe connector and solve leak issue.
In view of the foregoing shortcomings of the prior art, the inventor of the present invention conducted extensive researches and experiments, and finally developed a New Type leak-proof structure of an oil pipe connector in accordance with the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and promote the development of the related industry.